


Bottled and Shipped

by RollingWings



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Drabble, One Shot, Referenced Canon-Typical Violence, Regret, Self-Acceptance, Self-Doubt, Self-Indulgent, Trials, referenced canonical events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23971300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RollingWings/pseuds/RollingWings
Summary: Out of all the people she expected to have been sent to question her, this was not who she was expecting."Good evening, Kuvira, it's good to see you well. I would introduce myself, but judging by your proclamation a few days ago, I assume you know who I am."Kuvira swallows and gives a sharp nod, "Lord Zuko." She says stiffly, a confirmation and greeting in one.After her arrest, Kuvira has a conversation with one of the few people with personal experience on violent dictators.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 105





	Bottled and Shipped

Kuvira doesn't know what's going to happen to her. She's not sure if she cares. It's not like there's anyone outside to care  _ for _ her, and the last person who did she blasted with a super weapon with the intent to kill.

The door to her platinum lined interrogation room finally opens after hours of waiting, and Kuvira freezes in shock. Out of all the people she expected to have been sent to question her, this was not who she was expecting.

"Good evening, Kuvira, it's good to see you well. I would introduce myself, but judging by your proclamation a few days ago, I assume you know who I am."

Kuvira swallows and gives a sharp nod, "Lord Zuko." She says stiffly, a confirmation and greeting in one.

Lord Zuko inclines his head and sits across the table from her, his hands folded primly in a faux copy of hers; strapped to the bolted table in matching platinum cuffs.

He stares at her hands for a moment, then sets his grim gaze onto her, "Do you know why I'm here?"

Before she can answer, he lifts his hand to stop her, "No, no, that was the wrong question to ask. You're a smart girl, so let me ask another," He folds his hands again before asking, "Do you understand why your actions were wrong?"

Kuvira stiffened, but she didn't flinch. She had a lot of time to think about her actions after her talk with the Avatar in the Spirit World, and she was honorable and brave enough to face whatever punishment she would be given. So she set herself and looked into her executioner's eyes as she clearly pronounced, "I needed control, and I had the power to attain it. But in the process of attaining that control and power, I hurt and subjugated millions of people. I put the balance of the world in jeopardy, and for that I must be punished."

Lord Zuko nodded, then said, "Yes, that is true. But that is not the question I asked. I asked if you understood why your actions were wrong, not why you think you should be charged." 

Kuvira did flinch this time, and just as she was about to shout at him for, for,  _ something _ , he continued, "You committed multiple war crimes Kuvira. Taking entire towns and cities as hostage, refusing service and goods to those who required them, perfidy, the list goes on. And need I mention the forced segregation of non-earth benders to work in your camps?"

Kuvira could feel her chest tightening and all she could do was stare at Lord Zuko as he stared back cooly. After a pause he spoke, "I am perfectly aware you understand that you will receive punishment. However, what I need to know is if you understand why what you did was  _ wrong _ . And as you think that over, with your list of crimes, why do you think they all relate to me being here."

Kuvira's mouth was dry as the desert and her head spun with Lord Zuko's unknown intentions. What was the right call? What was the right answer? What did he  _ want _ ?

She knew what she did, she could perfectly recall every order she made, every man and woman she bodily threatened for power, every village she took to unite under her rule. Was it  _ wrong _ ? Was her end goal  _ wrong _ ? No. No, she didn't think so. Those were her orders; to bring back stability to the Earth Kingdom. But, the supposed war crimes she committed. War crimes. How could she have committed war crimes if there had not been any war to commit those crimes in?

Had she unknowingly started a war?

And then it clicked, and her head shot up from staring at the table during her thinking to look at Lord Zuko. A chill ran down her spine.

"Y-You… Your father…" Kuvira choked.

Lord Zuko nodded slowly, "While the world leaders are experienced in their own rights, they have not yet had to assign punishment for a world conqueror."

"I didn't-!"

"You didn't. Which makes things a bit easier. But Baatar Jr. was willing to confess your plans to lessen his own sentence, and I can't say I was surprised of them after General Iroh told me of the weapon you created to take Republic City."

Kuvira shut her mouth and swallowed, suddenly remembering General Iroh's connection to the man sitting in front of her.

Lord Zuko gave a deep sigh and folded his arms to his chest to lean back in his seat. He simply stared at Kuvira, and her heart raced through the silence.

"Kuvira, for your own state of mind, I will say this, but do not think it will lessen my judgement."

Kuvira nodded.

"I do not think all of this destruction is your fault alone."

" _ What!? _ "

"You took full responsibility for your actions when you refused to step down from power and threatened war on the other nations on the Earth King's coronation day. However, if I was told correctly, it was the world leaders that assigned you alone to bring order to the entirety of the Earth Kingdom," Lord Zuko shook his head, "That was a mistake. You are young, and a task that large should have been given to someone older, or an advisor should have been assigned to you. You may have been Su Yin's most talented, and a captain of her home guard, but this does not mean you had the experience or knowledge to unite an entire country without consequences." At this he smirked, "That, I could have given advice from personal experience."

Kuvira stayed silent, and Lord Zuko went on, "I understand why the Fire Lord didn't offer her assistance with your cause, what with our history with the Earth Kingdom, but she should have offered to find a trustworthy advisor to help guide you. For Agni's sake we have historians for a reason."

Lord Zuko ran a hand down his weathered face, and Kuvira finally gathered her wits to ask, "Be that as it may, Lord Zuko, what is going to happen to me."

"That depends, you haven't answered my second question. Do you understand why the decisions you made to accomplish your goals, whether you were going to step down from power or not, were wrong?"

Kuvira broke her gaze to stare at her cuffed wrists, and knew the answer she had to give, "No, I don't understand," Lord Zuko's brows furrowed, but before he could say anything she continued, "But I  _ want _ to understand. The Avatar was able to stop me because she understood me, somehow. If I want people to trust me again, I need to know why the actions I took were immoral, given my mission," She lifted her head to stare into worn golden eyes, "I need to know who I am if I have no purpose."

They sat in silence, Lord Zuko not moving a muscle and Kuvira holding herself stiff to prepare herself for the finishing blow. 

However, instead of verbal lashing, Lord Zuko leaned forward to gently place a large warm hand over hers and said, "Trust me child, if you believe anything I say, let it be that the right to live and happiness does not rely on a purpose."

Kuvira's breath caught in her throat, and she ducked her head to hide the way her eyes burned and her cheeks flushed. She heard Lord Zuko stand, but she kept her head down as he made his way to the door.

"I shall send my daughter in now to discuss your punishment. You shall be transferred to General Iroh's care and taken to the Fire Nation where you will spend a life sentence in the Caldera Mental Institution for Criminals."

Kuvira's head shot up at that. She couldn’t have heard that correctly. A mental institution? With her heart in her throat she spoke, "That's not enough! I deserve-"

"I know exactly what you deserve, Kuvira," Lord Zuko snapped, "It's the reason I was sent to speak to you."

"But what I did- The world leaders couldn't have agreed to such a lenient sentence!"

"Lenient you say. Oh, child, there is nothing lenient about recovery," Lord Zuko chuckled stiffly, "President Raiko was under the same assumption until I explained exactly what your day to day would consist of." He stepped further into the room again to stand at her side and peered down at her with a critical eye, "You are a woman of action, both in mind and body. You are highly intelligent, and your ability to not only absorb information, but implement it in your life is frankly terrifying. However, those skills will not help you where you are going."

Kuvira swallowed as Lord Zuko stepped back, his hands clasped behind his back, "No, I do not think they will. My daughter will go into more detail, but you shall be monitored day and night, your meals planned down to the minute, and what you do during any free time you earn shall be chosen for you."

Kuvira's head spun with what she was being told, and her confusion must have shown on her face, because Lord Zuko shook his head and in a grim voice said, "Kuvira, you told me that you wish to understand your mistakes and yourself, and I shall grant this to you. You shall attend coordinated therapy sessions to find what you seek while incarcerated, but in exchange, you shall be stripped of the control you worked so hard to obtain."

Kuvira's mind went blank and her lungs seized when she finally understood. Her heart beat painfully against her ribs, and she knew her panic showed because Lord Zuko frowned in what she could only identify as sympathy.

"What one finds as paradise, the other sees as torture," Lord Zuko said softly, "My sister taught me that, and it is what the world leaders have come to understand." 

"I… I understand, and accept my punishment without complaint." Kuvira said as she ducked her head to keep herself steady.

Lord Zuko nodded and slowly made his way to the door, "I hope you avoid the path my father took and use this opportunity to find peace, child."

" _ Wait! _ "

Lord Zuko paused, and half turned to give her his attention. She knew she was pushing her luck, but she had to know.

"Can I- Can I talk to Baatar before I leave. I… I need to…" She choked. Her thoughts and words slipping.

Lord Zuko stared at her and inclined his head, "I'll see what I can do. If anything, I shall convince the world leaders to allow you a letter. However, it will be up to Baatar Jr. to respond."

The heaviness in Kuvira's stomach lifted, and she slouched in her seat with a relieved gust of air, "That is all I need."

With one last nod, Lord Zuko left. The silence stretched on, and Kuvira breathed.

**Author's Note:**

> //finger guns  
> dont @ me for inaccuracies theres a [self indulgent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYdvTR2Womw) tag for a reason


End file.
